The movie News of the World delivers a revisionist Western. The term “revisionist” used to mean a project that felt grittier than Roy Rogers singing cowboy songs, but now it refers to politically correct attitudes that defy traditional classics like The Searchers . That John Wayne/John Ford epic spent decades on lists as the greatest western movie ever made, with gorgeous location shots of Monument Valley standing tall while the epitome of a hero put his own needs aside as he searches for a

In the evolving genre of movies about avenging rape, Promising Young Woman offers an original approach. Forget macho Charles Bronson's gun-toting from Death Wish . Forget Uma Thurman’s martial arts kicks in the two Kill Bills . Forget graphic violence a la I Spit on Your Grave . With sly psychology, actress Carrie Mulligan’s title character turns the genre around in writer-director Emerald Fennell’s promising new movie.

Reno native Dawn Wells, an actress most known for her role in Gilligan’s Island , died from COVID-19 last week in southern California. KUNR film reviewer Robin Holabird shares some memories of Dawn, who kept Reno close to her heart.

After solving the mysteries of talking toys, cars and fish, the Disney-Pixar group finds answers to soul-searching questions in its newest release. Soul checks in on the meaning of life, as its main character sidesteps death and falls into the wrong space as an inadvertent mentor. Perfect for kids, right?

Having finally visited one of my bucket list destinations during a 2020 COVID-safe road trip this summer, I come to the movie Ammonite with an extra degree of enthusiasm.

The new take on Broadway’s play called What the Constitution Means to Me defies typical movie reviewer reactions. We critics usually chastise filmmakers who fail to make a screen version of a play feel cinematic. But both director Marielle Heller and writer/star Heidi Schreck deserve kudos for bringing the sense of an intimate play onto home screens.

Things get weird when I describe why I like the new movie Half Brothers so well. Okay, not so odd when I mention that I take Spanish classes, so I appreciate the chance to listen to the language, which occurs off and on during the film. But perhaps weird when I chuckle at a sideline gag about a kid wearing masks of famous movie serial killers. And especially peculiar when I feel rewarded for finding a story that makes good use of a goat. Hey, I like goats.

The movie Hillbilly Elegy sets itself up with a challenge it never overcomes — celebrating family disfunction. The movie’s inspiration, J.D. Vance, credits a hard-knocks childhood for turning him into a successful lawyer and bestselling author, painting a vivid portrait of his drug-addled mother and crusty grandmother. Director Ron Howard runs with these two women as the selling point for his movie version of the book.

Appreciating works by an all-time great artist took an extra hit when the COVID-19 pandemic closed most museums and delayed the release of a film called The Last Vermeer . Many museums remain shuttered, but local theaters started screening The Last Vermeer in November, providing the chance to once again appreciate the genius of the man whose Girl With a Pearl Earring painting inspired a well-liked arthouse film starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson nearly twenty years ago.

The Climb takes an amusing look at the ups and downs of friendship. Director Michael Angelo Covino shares writing and acting duties with his real-life buddy Kyle Marvin, exploring the dynamics of a relationship that survives many years, despite the two men's hugely different approaches to life.